Open access

Today was a day of cancellation. The GEM (Gender Evaluation Methodology) Book launch was scheduled to happen at 2:00 pm, but in a demonstration of solidarity, APC decided to withdraw and cancel all of its side events scheduled for today…

FSF Europe on who
owns and controls the information societies?, *
href=“http://www.worldsummit2005.de/en/web/810.htm”>WSIS and Beyond:
dialogue between Soenke Zehle and Geert Lovink, *
href=“http://www.wsis-online.net/ict4all/booths?event_id=516962”>list of
participants at the ICT4All exhibition at Tunis and *
href=“http://www.itu.int/wsis/documents/doc_multi-en-1161%7C1160.asp”>WSIS
documents in various languages (incl English, Spanish, French)… This list is obviously very incomplete and needs your help in being updated.

Ladies and gentlemen this is a pseudo-transcript of the proceedings of the Civil Society press conference held on November 15, 2005 (Tuesday) at 16:30. The second round of WSIS has not even started yet but hearing the pronouncements below one would think that it is already over!

The internet should be more democratic and more international, says the WSIS’ chief organizer. More than 80% of the goals of WSIS have already been achieved, saysITU chief Yoshio Utsumi at his opening press conference for the summit’s currently-underway second phase in Tunisia. He however skipped answering whether ITU has communicated concern to Tunisia’s government regarding the safety of journalists and human rights’ campaigners. Utsumi also announced that over 300 parallel events planned. Some 12,000 delegates are meanwhile in Tunis on the eve of the summit opening.

Took a cab to the Kram Palexbo, where the Summit and IT 4 All exhibition was happening[…] When we finally got to the site, we were stopped 5 times at security checks at every turn of the road and I had to flash my registration card and a big smile to calm the security that I was indeed, a legitimate subject to attend this conference, accredited (somehow) and all.

Under the incredulous eyes of the participants at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), journalists and human rights defenders were manhandled, insulted, and then violently beaten. APCNews reports from Tunis.

En route to the promised global village, the information superhighway is plagued by poor access and high fares that the bulk of this planet simply cannot afford. Reducing international internet costs is an important priority, underlined in a set of recommendations from the APC made to the WSIS stresses.

Maxigas — a friend from Hungary — and myself had the opportunity to go to the Tunis City Centre last afternoon, just to have a feel of the city and get to know a little more about Tunis. The atmosphere seemed quite festive, and preparations for the WSIS are in full swing. Green plants are being transported in numbers and transplanted on roadsides and important squares, large pictures of the Tunisian President are installed everywhere, and even most of the banners also carry his pictures welcoming the WSIS delegates ;) But questions remain….